


Shards of glass

by Laughingvirus



Series: stardust au [2]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Celestial!Felix, Dark Fantasy, Dragon!Chan, Dragon!Changbin, Dragon!Jisung, Forest Spirit!Hyunjin, Forest Spirit!Minho, Human!Jeongin, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, mage!seungmin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:28:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27592079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laughingvirus/pseuds/Laughingvirus
Summary: In this cruel world, the cruel wants power.But power comes a price. One that the cruel are unwilling to pay.Thus, the burden is placed upon the unwilling.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Felix, Han Jisung | Han/Seo Changbin, Hwang Hyunjin/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Kim Seungmin/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Series: stardust au [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2016992
Comments: 44
Kudos: 149





	1. Guilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The blade mage stands on a hill, looking back towards what once was his home before he looks ahead. He doesn't know it yet, but his journey has begun._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, maybe you're a first time reader of this au/of any au of mine. If you are, make sure to read Reign of stardust before reading this one or you might be a bit lost regarding the characters, their relations and the lore in the world! <3

Seungmin had not been in Serenn for a good while now. A couple of months had passed since he had last stepped foot on the ground of the kingdom. He was ashamed and wished to not bring more pain to others. He had spent most of his time down in the south, away from the cold winters and the guilt he felt.

Instead, he had returned to the town of Augdun.

The town he had once called home. The town nestled between high mountain tops in the south.

It was still a beautiful town, but it hurt to walk the streets.

He kept his head lowered as he walked along the streets, fearing that someone might recognize him. The necklace he had received from Eunkyung, the one that allowed him to change his appearance, was still intact and the magic worked as it should.

It meant that he would not have to worry about people seeing a blade mage in the calm little town, but it did mean that someone could recognize him as Kim Seungmin, the lost son to the local herbalist.

Augdun had changed a lot since he was taken off the streets. He couldn’t remember much of how his parents had been to him, but he could remember that he had been happy. His memory of the town was still spot on, but when he was a child, he had not been one to sneak around in the shadows.

Thus, finding a place with less honorable people had proven to be a bit of a challenge, but one that he had overcome. The bar he had found was located in the outskirts of town in a seemingly abandoned storage building. As he entered the room, he was greeted by mostly just empty tables. One or two people turned to look at him as he entered but promptly just turned back to their own business. 

“A blade mage,” the barkeeper gruffed as Seungmin reached the counter. She was a tall woman, maybe in her mid to late twenties with strong built. Her black hair was braided into a long, single braid as it fell down her back. As Seungmin stopped in front of her, she was in the midst of drying some glasses. She gave him a quick glance from head to toe before raising an eyebrow, placing the glass to the side. “What brings you here to my establishment?”

“You’re the owner?” Seungmin asked, mostly out of curiosity. He had never been this far south when it came to his own shady deals, thus he wasn’t very familiar with the faces of those who operate in the area. 

“I am,” she said, resting both hands against the counter and leaned closer. “I hope you’re not here to cause any problems.”

“I’m not,” Seungmin said, raising both hands to show them to her. “I’m merely here for information.”

The woman leaned back, relaxing a little. “People or objects?”

“People.”

“Then you need to talk to the dragon,” the woman said, nodding her head to the side. “She’s currently alone.”

“Thank you,” Seungmin said and the woman grumbled as a response. He slid a few coins across the counter. “I’ll take whatever you can offer me for that.”

He got a cloudy ale and he could barely hide the distaste as the woman handed him the tankard. He turned around and headed towards the booth he had been directed to, fingers brushing over his necklace to activate the magic in it. The owner had shown her distaste for blade mages, so maybe covering up would be the better choice as he spoke to this woman. He could see a figure sitting alone at the table, a glass containing amber liquid and a hand wrapped around it. White scales covered her hand as well, fingernails turning into claws.

So that’s why she was ‘the dragon’. 

“I need information about a couple from this town,” Seungmin said as he sat down in front of a woman. She had her own booth in the bar, mostly shielded from prying eyes. “I was told you were the one to go to.”

She was an older woman, wrinkles settling in around her eyes and mouth with black hair cascading down her shoulders and white scales creeping up her neck and lower jaw. Her left eye was bright yellow, the pupil narrowed into a slit while the other eye was completely white. 

“Information I have, if you’re willing to pay for it,” the woman said, her eyes sharp as she stared through Seungmin’s soul.

There was something draconic in her voice, like an underlying growl as she spoke. It wasn’t unpleasant, but the only time Seungmin had heard it was when he was about to anger Chan enough to get him to shift.

“My name is Minjun.”

“Seungmin,” he said, pushing a silver across the table. “Would much prefer if you didn’t speak of me to anyone.”

“You were never here,” she said with an easy smile, reaching out to take the coin off the table. As she did, Seungmin could see that both her hands were covered in scales and claws. He looked her over again.

She very much reminded him of Changbin.

His stomach twisted in guilt and he tried his best to just shrug it off. He couldn’t think about that right now.

“Who do you need information about and how important is it to you?” Minjun asked, tilting her head. With one payment already done, her harsh facade was fading a bit and she smiled, eyes softening.

“It’s very important to me,” Seungmin said, pushing a pouch of coins across the table and Minjun nodded, clawed hand reaching out to grab the pouch. “What do you know about Kim Jiha and Kim Seunghwan. The owners of the herbalist shop.” He glanced around, running a hand through his brown hair. “At least they used to be the owners of the herbalist shop.”

Minjun watched him for a moment, eyes following his every tiny move. She leaned closer to him.

“You can drop the facade, blade mage,” she whispered and Seungmin froze for a second.

“How did you…” He trailed off, but then he locked eyes with her. “Ah, truth seeker,” he said, brushing his hand over the necklace. He returned to his normal self, with blue hair and dark markings. “You’re the first truth seeker I’ve met who could see through that.”

“Oh, you’ve met many truth seekers?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’ve never encountered one in my life before. Not many of us can stay half-alive.”

“I’ve encountered some spirit guides and a withered forest spirit,” Seungmin said, his voice strained. He didn’t want to think about his old companions. Not now.

“I’ve heard of spirit guides. Tricky creatures, according to the stories.” She paused, rubbing her scale-covered chin. “I’ve never heard of a withered forest spirit becoming a truth seeker though.”

“He was the first one I met. Haven’t heard about forest spirits becoming truth seekers either… Although, the one I met and the spirit guides could only see the truth of intentions.”

“That sounds like a very good ability to have,” Minjun mumbled, gesturing to her white eye. “You see, blade mage, this doesn’t allow me to see intentions, but I can see the true form of people.” She chuckled to herself. “Not very useful when you live in a town like Augdun. There’s not really a need for people to disguise themselves here. Except for people like you.”

“I-”

“You don’t need to explain yourself, young man, I’m aware of your kind and the prejudice that follows. I’ve never met one myself, but I’m aware of how it is to be on the edge of society.” She gestured to herself. “We’re not exactly accepted into human society, unless you’re a dragonguard in Serenn, but I’ve heard those have quite some troubles as well.”

“Maybe it’s just because we’re different from humans,” Seungmin said and Minjun hummed. He sighed, drumming his fingers against the table. “Now, shall we return to my reason for coming to you.”

“Of course,” Minjun said, nodding. “Kim Jiha and Kim Seunghwan you say?”

“Yes.” He leaned closer. “What do you know?”

She thought for a moment, her yellow eyes seeming to glaze over for a split second as she thought.

“I don’t know much about Jiha, sadly, and I cannot tell you much about Seunghwan either. But I do know some about them.”

“Are they still in town?”

“Seunghwan is,” Minjun replied and Seungmin’s heart sank. “Sadly, Jiha passed away years ago. This was before I moved here, so I only know the gossip that went around town.”

“I see,” Seungmin said, his voice wavering just ever so slightly. He tried to remain calm but judging by the way Minjun looked at him, she knew.

She sighed. “She was killed, around fifteen or sixteen years ago. I only moved here eleven years ago, so most of the talk about her had died out by the time I got here. Apparently there was a series of kidnappings of children around that time. Not only in Augdun, but all around the small villages here. Children that displayed the slightest bit of magic capabilities were snatched off the streets and apparently the Kim’s child had displayed some magic as well.”

Anger coursed through his body and he pressed his lips together.

“Jiha was found on the street and their seven or eight year old was nowhere to be found. The townsguard never figured out the reason for the attack, nor did they ever find the child, but it was speculated that the kidnapper was becoming desperate. Whatever they needed the children for, there must have been something special with the Kim’s child.”

“What about Kim Seunghwan then?”

“He still runs the local herbalism shop. I’ve spoken to him a couple times,” she began, pausing to think for a moment. “He’s a very kind man. Very quiet and not very keen on socializing with the rest of the town. I’ve been told that he has been like this ever since the passing of his wife and loss of his child.”

“I see.”

Minjun looked at him intently for a long time, not speaking a word.

“You know who was behind the kidnappings.”

Seungmin gritted his teeth. Of course she would figure it out.

“Kim Seunghwan wouldn’t get involved with anything that would send a mercenary after him, so that leaves one other option. You must be the child taken from them.”

“I… Yes. I don’t remember much about them and I never knew what happened to them after I…” He trailed off. “After I was made into this.”

“Why are you searching them out now?” Minjun asked, raising an eyebrow. “Just out of curiosity,” she clarified. “A long time has passed since you disappeared. Why now?”

“I haven’t been able to come back here,” Seungmin mumbled, looking down at his hands. He could feel Minjun’s gaze at him and it burned at him. “My maker is no longer around and I no longer pose a threat to my father by presence alone. Had I come here while she was still around, I do not think Kim Seunghwan would be alive for much longer.”

“I see,” Minjun said calmly, a small and almost sad smile on her lips. “That’s a good reason to stay away then.” She took a deep breath and glanced towards the windows of the bar. The few other patrons in the bar seemed to pay them no mind. Seungmin could hear her chuckle and mutter something like ‘no one messes with a blade mage’, but before he could reply she tapped her glass with her claws. “He lives above the shop, so if you want to seek him out, you only need to go there. You won’t miss it.”

Seungmin nodded, lips pressed together in a thin line and he stood up to leave, but he paused as Minjun reached out to grab his hand. Her claws brushed over his skin, careful not to break it.

“You should go there, Seungmin,” she said, offering him a smile. “I think you need to talk to him.”

Seungmin stared at her for a moment. “I’ll… I’ll think about it.”

He pulled his hand away from Minjun and without another word he spun around, heading towards the door.

  
  
  
  
  


There was a sense of calm resting over the town as it was slowly starting to wake up again. Seungmin was alone on the street, staring at the still dark house and the sign.

Herbalist.

The wooden sign above the door swayed slightly in the early spring breeze. It looked new. Maybe it was. Seungmin couldn’t recall it, but his memories from the time before the countless rituals were all hazy.

The sun was just barely past the horizon, casting its first golden rays on the roofs of the houses in Augdun. The wide dirt roads of the town were empty, still damp from the night’s rain. The smell of the muddy street and the nearby forest was heavy, but in a pleasant way. It caused the few fragmented memories from Seungmin’s childhood to return to him.

He lost himself in the memories for a moment. He could tell they were still broken, as he sometimes could only remember sounds, sometimes smell and sometimes he could see pictures.

His hands balled into fists.

Everything has a price, and for the power forcefully bound to his soul, he had paid a heavy one. But with the slowly increasing amount of details to his memory and the addition of new ones, some hope had been restored.

The faint movement in the corner of his eye caused him to snap out of his daze and he pulled away from the store front, quickly ducking into the shadows of a nearby alley.

He watched with sharp eyes as a shadow moved in the window on the upper floor of the herbalist shop. The person seemed to rummage around for a while before heading down to the first floor.

Seungmin held his breath as the front door of the shop opened and a man stepped out onto the street.

He looked similar to the man Seungmin could recall from his broken memories. But of course, time and grief had taken its toll on him. His eyes were tired and the lines on his face were deep. He looked exhausted as he moved slowly, bringing a sign with him to place outside the shop. As he turned back, he paused for a moment and he looked towards the alley where Seungmin was hiding.

Had he seen him?

At last he turned back to the door and returned inside, leaving Seungmin once again alone on the street. Seungmin could see him moving around inside and he slowly crept out of the alley.

He took a deep breath. This was what he had come to Augdun for and he shouldn’t leave the town before he had at least accomplished parts of his goal.

As he pushed the door to the shop open, the bell on it chimed softly. Despite the gentle sound it caused Seungmin’s heart to beat faster and harder in his chest.

This was all wrong. He was trained to not panic in stressful situations. He had spent years learning how to react to danger and how to fake being calm. So why was his body freaking out all of a sudden? Why couldn’t he control it?

The store he had stepped into was messy. The walls were lined with shelves all filled with various herbs and other things. There seemed to be no particular order in there, with things like candles or jars of salve placed in between the different bundles of herbs here and there. The smell from all the herbs almost made Seungmin dizzy. But there was something about it that brought back memories.

He remembered standing behind the counter, on a stepping stool to be able to see over the counter. His father was talking to a customer at the other end of the store and his mother was in the back, steeping candles. Seungmin wasn’t allowed to help with the candles, not yet. He felt giddy, because soon he would be eight and then he would get to help them. His parents had promised him that for his eighth birthday.

“Hello,” a voice said and Seungmin snapped out of his daze.

He stared right into the eyes of his father.

Seungmin’s heart pounded in his chest and his throat thickened. What should he say?

“Can I help you with something..?” his father asked, his voice slow and cautious as he eyed Seungmin from head to toe. It didn’t seem like he recognized him. “What are you doing here, blade mage?” he asked.

Seungmin felt sick.

“Who are you looking for?”

“I-”

He couldn’t get more than a word out. He felt panic starting to creep up on him. This was a mistake. He should have kept away.

After the long moment of silence, it seemed like realization settled in and Seungmin watched as his father’s eyes grew wide.

“You-”

He didn’t say more because the bell chimed again and another customer joined Seungmin in the shop. In the moment his father’s attention was turned away from him, Seungmin backed away and slunk through the door.

Kim Seungmin was nothing but a coward.

He did what he did best. He ran away.

  
  
  
  


He had returned to Serenn.

The shame, guilt and self-loathing had brought him back to a familiar tavern in the south of the Avaweald Forest. He was further north than before, and despite the changing of seasons, there was still some snow on the ground. He was still far enough away from the capital, but there was a feeling of unease in his chest.

Seungmin leaned back in his chair, eyes never leaving the piece of paper in his hand. His jaw was clenched as he read the request again. He hadn’t taken up a contract in a long time now and he never wanted to see another one again.

Yet here he was, seated in an underground tavern and a proposal in his hand.

Others would be offered this too, he knew that. If he took it, there was no guarantee that he was the only one pursuing this. He didn’t want to pursue this, but he needed to figure out what to do with it. Could he get an exclusive contract on this? Or should he trek into the Avaweald Forest alone and just pray he would get there first?

“Aren’t you a sorry sight,” a familiar voice said and Seungmin looked up as the person sat down in front of him.

At first it was like looking into a mirror. The three dots under the right eye, mirrored to Seungmin’s, and the vertical line under his bottom lip. But the closer you looked, the more differences you could see. The slightly rounder face, the more vibrant blue hair styled in an undercut, the button nose and the slim, feline like eyes.

“Brother,” Seungmin greeted, clenching his jaw. “Haven’t seen you around for a while.”

“That’s because you stopped coming here, brother,” Insu said, a lopsided grin stretching on his lips. “Heard you failed to kill the prince of Serenn.”

Seungmin snorted into his ale. “Never planned to kill him from the beginning,” he said as the heavy tankard hit the table. That was a lie. “I got who I had planned to kill from the start.” He paused. “She deserved it.”

Insu chuckled, nonchalantly flicking his hair away from his forehead.

Seungmin rolled his eyes.

“Bet she never expected you to turn on her,” Insu said, shaking his head. His eyes darkened as he looked at Seungmin. “Pity she didn’t realize who the loyal one was.”

“Please, Insu,” Seungmin said. “You wouldn’t have stood a chance against the dragonguards. Eunkyung knew that.” A grin stretched on his lips and he leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “Do you know what she said to me before she died? ‘It’s a pity that you were the more powerful one.’ You’re too weak. You’ve always been too weak.”

That caused something to flash in Insu’s eyes.

“You may have more magic than me, Seungmin, but you have your weaknesses too,” he hissed. Then he paused and took a deep breath, leaning back in his chair.

“Why are you here, Insu?” Seungmin asked, eyeing his brother up and down. “Surely it’s not to have a catch up chat with me.”

“Absolutely not,” Insu said, scrunching his nose. “I’m here because I need a job. Preferably something that doesn’t involve killing too many people. Last one got a bit too messy for my liking.” He looked down at his hands, inspecting his nails. “I don’t like too much blood on my hands.”

“We both know that’s a lie,” Seungmin said, finding it difficult to keep his cool around Insu for much longer. He had had a bad couple of months and Insu was making it worse.

“You’re right,” Insu replied, a grin stretching on his lips. “I’d say we both enjoy some blood on our hands. You can’t argue that you don’t enjoy a bit of bloodshed, considering what happened in Haelarja.”

_I’ve changed._

Seungmin’s fist tightened around the piece of paper in his hand. Insu didn’t miss that, sharp eyes flickering to the paper and then back to Seungmin’s face. The grin never left his face as he stood up.

“You’re no fun, Seungminnie.” He pouted dramatically. “I’ll just speak to the barkeeper,” he said, giving Seungmin a nod.

Seungmin watched Insu walk up to the bar, ordering a cheap ale and as that was brought over, so was a heavy leather-bound ledger. The barkeeper and Insu conversed for a moment as Insu flipped through the pages, eventually stopping. He glanced over his shoulder, locking eyes with Seungmin and a smug grin stretched over his lips.

Unease coiled in Seungmin’s gut as Insu got a copy of the proposal, downed his ale and turned to leave the tavern.

It took him a moment before he stood up and approached the bar.

“Excuse me,” Seungmin said, placing a silver coin on the counter. “Which proposal did that man just take?”

“The other blade mage?”

Seungmin nodded.

“Well, funnily enough he took the same as you, young man,” the barkeeper said, glancing at his ledger. Seungmin’s blood ran cold. “I suppose that the offer of being a part of the Shadow Walker Guild is very tempting.”

“It is,” Seungmin said slowly, jaw clenched as he offered the barkeeper a nod. “Did he say where he was going?”

“No, but I assume he just went into the Avaweald. Sysiweald is a lost cause and the ones who values their own lives wouldn’t step a foot in those cursed woods.”

“You’re right,” Seungmin mumbled, shaking his head to himself. “Thank you so much, my good sir,” he continued, sliding a copper over. The barkeeper scoffed, mumbling something about Seungmin being cheap, but Seungmin had already turned away from the bar counter.

He returned to his table and grabbed his bag. He glanced at the tankard of ale but decided to not finish it. He needed to leave and he needed to leave now.

As he left the bar, he mumbled a low curse. Insu was way faster than him and a much more skilled scout in the forest. There was no way he was going to catch up.

All he could do was follow and pray that he would make it in time. Maybe the spirit guides could lead him astray.

He looked down at the note in his hand, feeling anger bubbling to the surface and he crumpled the paper in his hand, but instead of throwing it away he just stuffed it back into his pocket. It could be useful later.

With a heavy feeling in his chest, he began to make his way back towards the Avaweald Forest.

**_Wanted:_ ** _the core of a spirit tree._

_The core is to be taken and brought to Grimholt in the east, beyond the Heolfor Moor. The core is not to be harmed and the spirit of said tree shall be left to wither in peace._

_For whoever completes this mission, I shall pay ten thousand gold and a chance to join my guild in the east. We’re expanding our network, and if you succeed, I am willing to discuss terms for a partnership._

_Shadow Walker of Grimholt._

After the great firestorm in the Avaweald Forest, not many forest spirits remained, and there were even less spirit cores left in the forest. But the whole Serenn knew of one, a blooming forest spirit who helped the prince to bring an end to his curse.

Hyunjin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO  
> am back. kind of. I will be honest and say that i'm going through a bit of a rough patch but I still want to do my best and try to write this au and post it as i finish chapters. So there's no real schedule to the posting of this but im going to try my best ;w; <3 i have it mostly outlined and right now it looks to be seven chapters.  
> I'm very excited about this au and I hope you're all excited as well!


	2. On the right path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The magic in this forest is rooted deep. It will twist the mind; lead those with ill intent astray and guide the righteous on the correct path._

There was a reason that Seungmin much preferred cities or towns to the forest. And he much preferred to travel along the trading routes rather than trekking through the forest like this. The trading route followed a road through the moon fields, leading up to Mondum where it split to the east and west; the west leading towards the Sysiweald and the Gangjeon ruins while the east lead towards Avaweald and the castle of Serenn.

The route Seungmin was following right now was through less traveled paths, most of the road covered by thick underbrush and shrubbery. This really wasn’t his strong suit. He was supposed to sneak through alleyways and effortlessly infiltrate businesses. He wasn’t the forest type, nor was he the fast traveler between him and his brother. He had never had to be that before.

But he really needed to be it right now. People who he might consider friends were in danger and he had promised to stay away, to not hurt them more. He had made that promise to Felix and to himself. He couldn’t go back on a promise.

He had changed.

Shaking his head to himself, he paused for a moment and pulled out the vial of blood.

As much as he despised Eunkyung, he had to admit that the few items he had received from her were useful.

He shook the vial, causing the blood to swirl inside of it. As it moved, it gave off the faintest bit of light and he wrapped his fingers around the vial, closing his eyes. He thought about Insu, trying to envision the path he had taken through the forest.

Glowing footprints appeared before him as he opened his eyes, but he could immediately tell something was off. He could see the footprints, and he knew they were from Insu, but then the light from them flickered and went out, leaving him not much wiser than before.

“Must be a protection or something,” Seungmin grumbled to himself, pocketing the vial again.

It hadn’t helped much but at least he knew he was on the right track.

He continued to make his way through the forest, and he thought that maybe he was on the right path.

Night was approaching and he cursed. He didn’t know where he was and Insu were way ahead of him by now. He had no way of contacting Hyunjin or Minho. He couldn’t warn them.

All he could do was to push on and hope he wouldn’t be too late.

It was a full moon tonight, providing him some light as he traveled. Not that he needed much light anyway, as he could see fairly well in the darkness. He was created to prowl in the dark. But the bit of light made him feel less alone.

He wasn’t sure for how long he was walking. The moon moved in the sky, but it felt as if he was making no progress.

Was he walking in circles?

“For the love of all that is holy,” he mumbled, rubbing his temples. The forest was toying with him, leading him astray and slowing him down. With a sigh, he sunk down with his back against a tree and he stared out into the darkness ahead of him. “Please,” he whispered, almost as if he was begging. “I need to reach the witch’s cabin. I’m trying to save a forest spirit.”

There was a rustle as if the forest heard him. Then a pause.

Maybe this was actually working.

“I’m trying to save Hyunjin.”

At the mention of Hyunjin, a stillness settled over the forest. It was odd and Seungmin wasn’t sure how to explain it but it was as if the forest held its breath.

Then another rustle, but this time something stepped out of the darkness.

A creature stepped out of the bushes, pushing the shrubbery to the side. It was small in frame, resembling a child around the age of eight. They were wearing a long robe that reached to their knees with a hood pulled over their head, their form spectral. Their skin was a soft greenish gray, the eyes completely white and as they pulled their hood down, their white hair seeming to be floating around their head.

Oh great, a spirit guide. Just what he needed.

The spirit guide spoke, but no words could be heard. They then tilted their head, staring at Seungmin intently. The way their gaze bore through Seungmin’s very soul.

“I want to help,” Seungmin said, his voice quiet and pleading. “I know my intentions have previously been… not very good, nor clear, but please help me out this time.”

The spirit guide blinked, then narrowed their eyes. Seungmin wasn’t sure if all spirit guides looked the same but he got the vague feeling that he recognized this one. Maybe it had been the one following him as he chased after Felix all those months ago.

If it was that spirit guide or not, he wasn’t sure, but judging by the expression on their face, this one was considering to abandon him and let the forest continue to confuse him.

“There’s someone after Hyunjin’s core,” Seungmin said and that seemed to cause a reaction in the spirit guide.

They pulled away as if they had been burned.

“I know who and I just want to stop him,” he pleaded.

The spirit stared at him, then they nodded and reached out a hand.

Seungmin didn’t take it but he took a step closer, indicating that he would follow it. The spirit nodded and it began to lead him through the Avaweald Forest.

The thick, old forest slowly morphed into a young, recovering one. Seungmin’s feet were aching as he no longer was surrounded by large trees. The trees around them were young and thin with wispy branches. The large trees that still remained in this part of the forest were all charred and most of them dead.

He knew exactly where they were and what was the cause of this destruction.

He felt sick.

The ground under them was uneven with some large craters every now and then, all barren of any vegetation.

The spirit guide suddenly stopped in front of him, so sudden that Seungmin almost walked into them. They turned to look at Seungmin with large eyes and then pointed to the side of them.

He wasn’t sure what he was looking at.

It was a large tree trunk, its hollow inside exposed and only a few branches remained. It had been burned badly, and honestly it was a miracle it was still standing. There wasn’t much remaining of the bark that had once protected it. What bark had survived the fire had probably been worn off with time. But still, Seungmin could see some pieces of bark. They were very small and they too seemed damaged, like someone had intentionally carved in the bark with a knife.

He turned back to the spirit.

They blinked.

“Should we continue?” he asked.

The spirit moved their lips, but he couldn’t hear the words. They almost looked annoyed with him as they shook their head and spun around, starting to walk again.

They left the destroyed, partly recovering area behind them but the sight of the forest like that didn’t leave him. He knew about it; Eunkyung talked about how she had caused a fire to distract the woodland creatures from noticing as she took the spirit cores from various different spirit trees, but he had never seen it.

The forest closed around them again, old trees with thick tops shielded them from most light. The space between the trees were growing smaller and the forest seemed to almost close around them as they walked.

There was an odd sensation in the back of Seungmin’s mind and he felt dizzy for a second, but as he focused on the spirit guide ahead, the dizziness faded. Had the forest attempted to confuse him and get him to lose his way again?

Maybe.

The spirit guide looked over their shoulder at him and he could see them speaking again, but yet again, no sound was heard.

However, he didn’t have time to ask the spirit guide anything because the forest opened up ahead of them and Seungmin felt like he could finally breathe. Their walk came to a halt and the spirit glanced at him again; then they turned towards the middle of the clearing.

At first he couldn’t understand why they had stopped, but then he saw her. Among the tall grass of the clearing was a forest spirit. She had her attention turned to the flowers she was picking and Seungmin couldn’t make out much of her facial features, but he knew that this was the forest spirit that resided with the witch of the woods. He had seen her before, albeit on a distance but he recognized the hair color and the asymmetrical sleeves of her dress. Last time he had seen her she had had more flowers in her hair, but from what he knew about forest spirits it seemed like they lost most of their flowers during winter, only to have them return in spring.

“Excuse me,” Seungmin said, breaking the silence.

The forest spirit snapped her head up, eyes widening as she saw him and she immediately backed away in surprise.

“What are you doing here, blade mage?” she asked. Her voice wasn’t hostile, she sounded almost scared. “You’re one of Eunkyung’s creations, are you not?” Before Seungmin could reply she continued. “What do you want with me?”

“I want nothing with you,” Seungmin began, raising his hands to show that he carried nothing that could hurt her. “I’m here to help.” He looked around the clearing. “I need to get to Hyunjin. I think he’s in danger. Or you might be in danger.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that-”

He was cut off as the whole forest shrieked.

It was like a shockwave, piercing through his chest and it sent a shiver down his spine. But the shriek passed in a second, and what remained was only a pulse of pain.

The forest was hurting. Someone had hurt it.

The forest spirit looked terrified, her eyes wide as she glanced over her shoulder.

“You’re… You’re here to help?”

“I am,” Seungmin said, hoping that she would believe him.

She stared at him for a long time, then her eyes moved to the spirit beside him. She exhaled, breath shuddering and she nodded to herself.

“I’m Jiyeon,” she whispered, licking her lips nervously. “Come with me.”

Before Seungmin could reply, she spun around and headed into the forest again.

He could only follow her.

  
  
  
  


Jiyeon was rushing through the forest and Seungmin almost struggled to keep up with her. She had her focus turned ahead and it seemed like she knew exactly where to go. There was still that dull, but steady pulse of pain in the air.

The Avaweald Forest was different from other forests in that aspect. It was so alive and always seemed to communicate with everyone within the woods, even if they had little connection with nature, like Seungmin. He couldn’t imagine how much this was hurting the nature beings.

They made their way through the woods, passing by a few small clearings here and there.

“We’re almost there,” Jiyeon said, her voice trembling and she glanced over her shoulder at Seungmin. Her eyes were glossy and he could see the pain all over her face. She turned back to look ahead and whispered ‘please let him be okay’ under her breath.

Seungmin could only hope.

Jiyeon was picking up her pace, moving swiftly through the woods and Seungmin, not being a forest creature, struggled to keep up with her. He could see the back of her dress, the white a stark contrast to the lush green around them.

He kept following her at a quick pace, ducking from branches and pushing away thick underbrush. But eventually the forest opened in front of them into another small clearing.

Jiyeon’s breath hitched. While she stepped further into the clearing, Seungmin remained at the outskirts for a little while to look around.

At first he couldn’t see anything in particular, but then he saw what had caused the forest all the pain.

The sight in front of him was horrific.

Seungmin had never seen a spirit tree before, but he had heard them described. They were described as beautiful and once you saw one, you would be able to tell that it belonged to a spirit. The tree in front of him was a large, thick trunk covered with moss and had intricate carvings into the bark. Some people had told him that spirit trees were glowing from within, and he could only imagine how stunning it would be if the light seeped out through the cracks.

But this tree wasn’t glowing from within.

There was a large, gaping hole in the middle of the tree, the bark forcefully carved open with a large blade and parts of the tree ripped away as someone had tried to get to the core. The forest closest to the tree seemed to be in the beginning process of withering. The colors were drained and the grass appeared dry.

This tree reminded him of the one he had seen among the charred part of the forest.

By the tree, inspecting the broken bark, was Hyunjung. She was visibly shaken, her hands trembling as she ran her fingers along the broken bark.

Jiyeon quickened her steps while Seungmin slowed down. He didn’t know what to say or do.

He had been too late.

“Hyunjung,” Jiyeon said as she reached the other. Hyunjung spun around, ripped out of her own thoughts and she stared at Jiyeon for a moment. Jiyeon stared at the tree, then turned to Hyunjung. “W-who did this?”

“We don’t know,” Hyunjung said. It was clear that she tried to keep a facade of calm, but Seungmin didn’t miss the slight tremble of her lips. “Someone moved through the forest unseen, and-” Her eyes fell on Seungmin and her whole expression changed in a second. It went from distraught to furious and she took a step forward, pushing Jiyeon behind her. “What are you doing here, blade mage?”

“I’m-”

“You’re Eunkyung’s,” Hyunjung sneered. “Is this your doing?”

“I’m here to help,” Seungmin said, trying his best to sound sincere but his words came out flat and almost emotionless.

Hyunjung snorted, rolling her eyes.

“He knew Hyunjin was in danger,” Jiyeon said, placing a hand on Hyunjung’s shoulder. “He was brought astray by the fo-”

“That means he has no good intentions here then,” Hyunjung said, cutting Jiyeon off.

“A spirit guide led him to me,” Jiyeon continued. “That means that deep down, there’s good intentions.” She brushed her hand down Hyunjung’s arm before taking her hand. “Please, Hyunjung.”

Hyunjung turned to look at the forest spirit.

“I think he can help,” Jiyeon whispered.

Both of them turned to stare at Seungmin. Hyunjung looked him up and down, eyes narrowing.

“Alright,” she said after a tense moment. She relaxed a bit, her shoulders lowering.

Seungmin could only thank the high heavens for Jiyeon right now.

“Where’s Hyunjin?” Jiyeon asked, eyes flickering around the open part of the forest. “Is he okay?”

“He’s with Minho at the cottage,” Hyunjung said, her eyes not leaving Seungmin. She took a step closer. “What do you know about this?”

“I know the Shadow of Grimholt is looking for a spirit tree core,” he said, watching as Hyunjung’s expression darkened even further. She looked furious. “Do you know who that is?”

“I don’t,” she hissed between gritted teeth. “How did you know this would happen?”

“How did you know it would be Hyunjin?” Jiyeon asked.

“I kind of figured,” Seungmin said. He didn’t intend to sound nonchalant as he spoke, but judging by Hyunjung’s expression, he came off as nonchalant. “The news of the curse bestowed upon the prince of Serenn traveled around the lands quickly, and in the tales, some of Prince Felix’s companions were mentioned. Among them was a forest spirit from the Northwest of Avaweald. I figured that Hyunjin would be a target since he’s currently the most well-known forest spirit.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Hyunjung grumbled. “What else do you know?”

“I know that the core is not to be fiddled with and should be brought unharmed to Grimholt, and whoever takes the core should leave the spirit alone to wither.”

Jiyeon’s eyes were glossy and her bottom lip quivered.

Hyunjung looked distraught as well, the anger slowly washing off her face.

“Let’s… Let’s go back to the cottage,” she said, reaching out to take Jiyeon’s hand. “I need to speak to Hyunjin and Minho so we can decide what to do from now.” She swallowed hard, her grip of Jiyeon’s hand tightening. “We need to get the core back. And since whoever took it needs to travel, we might catch up.”

Seungmin nodded, lips pressed into a thin line. He quietly followed Hyunjung and Jiyeon as they began to head back to the cottage.

He didn’t want to tell them more right now. They needed whatever hope they could get.

  
  


The small cottage opened into a large room with a corridor lined with doors. The visual of the witch cabin wasn’t far from what Seungmin had imagined, based on the experience he had with witches.

But the outside of the cottage had been different from last time he had seen it. As he had hid in the edge of the forest, following Felix, he had seen the warm and inviting glow from within the cottage. This time, the inside was dark and the temperature seemed to drop as they entered the cottage.

It was eerily quiet.

“Minho?” Jiyeon called out in a soft voice.

“I’m here,” Minho said, appearing from the hallway. He looked tired, the shadows under his eyes dark and his shoulders slumped. But as he laid eyes upon Seungmin, his demeanor changed. He became tense and his expression immediately hardened. “What is he doing here?” he asked, voice harsh but the volume kept low.

He hadn’t changed much since Seungmin last had seen him. His orange hair was a bit messier than usual, falling into his face rather than being slicked back, and the crown of twigs seemed to be a bit crooked. He was wearing more layers, covering up more skin in the cold spring weather.

“He knows more about this than us,” Hyunjung said with a heavy sigh, as if it was difficult to accept help from him.

Seungmin didn’t blame her.

“I think he can help us,” Jiyeon said carefully.

Minho narrowed his eyes as he walked up to Seungmin.

“What do you know about this?” he asked, getting into Seungmin’s personal space. “Do you know who did this?” His eyes never left Seungmin and Seungmin could feel his gaze burn through him.

“I think I-”

He wasn’t allowed to finish his sentence before Minho grabbed Seungmin’s collar.

“Who is it and why?” he hissed.

“I think it’s my brother,” Seungmin replied, his voice calm as he placed a hand on Minho’s to pry it away from his collar. “The job has been handed out to multiple people, but I know my brother took up this contract.”

“How do you know that?”

Seungmin was quiet for a moment, hands dropping from Minho’s hand to instead look for the piece of paper in his pocket.

“Answer me,” Minho sneered, his grip of Seungmin’s collar tightening and he pulled him closer.

“Minho,” Jiyeon said, placing a hand on Minho’s arm. “Calm down a little.”

“But-”

“He was brought to me by a spirit guide,” she continued and Minho’s expression softened for a split second. Then he looked back at Seungmin, brows furrowed and jaw tense, but he let go. “Let’s sit down at the table,” Jiyeon said, holding onto Minho’s arm as she pulled him to the table.

They all sat down around the large table. The attention was turned towards Seungmin and he figured he had to explain himself.

“I was… Let’s just say I found myself in one of the less honest areas of Serenn, and out of curiosity I checked the ledger. I’m in need of money right now and I wanted to see if there was a contract I could fulfill. Maybe someone needed an errand boy or bodyguard for a while,” Seungmin explained. Minho didn’t look like he believed him for a second. “In the ledger I found this.”

He unfolded the piece of paper and placed it on the table, pushing it towards Hyunjung but Minho snatched it before she could. She didn’t show much of a reaction, but instead leaned closer to Minho to read the contract over his shoulder.

“How did you know it would be Hyunjin?” Minho asked, his voice coming out almost like a hiss.

“He’s the most well-known forest spirit right now, so I figured that he would be in danger.”

“And the one who did this,” Minho continued. “You know them?”

“This is an open contract, meaning a lot of people were given it, but I know my brother took it and I was tracking him before the forest decided to lead me astray.”

“But a spirit guide brought you to Jiyeon,” Minho said and Seungmin nodded.

“Correct.” Minho was still eyeing him suspiciously. “I know I haven’t been the most honest one but please believe me when I tell you I want to help.”

Minho stared at him for a long time, leaning a bit closer as he tilted his head.

“Your intentions are clearing up but I still can’t figure you out,” Minho hissed between gritted teeth. “What can you tell me about your brother?”

“My brother?”

Minho nodded.

“Why do you ask?”

“I need to know everything about him,” Minho said, leaning back in his chair. He glanced at Jiyeon and Hyunjung. “I’m going after him.”

“What?”

“I’m getting the core back.”

“He’s a blade mage, like me,” Seungmin pointed out but Minho didn’t seem to bother.

“I figured,” he said as he stood up. “I should get my things ready and I’ll… I’ll leave in the morning.”

Seungmin watched for a moment as Minho began to head towards the corridor.

“I’ll go with you,” Seungmin said, causing Minho to halt in his steps.

He spun around to face Seungmin, eyebrows pulled together in a confused frown. Jiyeon and Hyunjung also gave Seungmin a confused glance.

“What?”

“You’re up against another blade mage, one who I know, and heavens knows what comes afterwards. If he makes it to Grimholt, you’re up against a whole guild,” Seungmin said, pushing his chair back to stand up as well. He took a deep breath. “I want to help. Please let me help.”

Minho spun around fully to face him, eyes narrowing as he studied Seungmin again.

Seungmin didn’t feel nervous, but he felt uncomfortable as Minho stared through him. He knew what abilities Minho possessed and he could only hope that his true intentions could be seen.

“Fine,” Minho said, his voice so soft that Seungmin almost missed it. “We leave in the morning.”

With that he simply turned around and headed down the hallway before anyone could say anything.

“He and Hyunjin are very close,” Jiyeon said, breaking the silence.

As she spoke, Hyunjung stood up.

“I figured as much,” Seungmin said and Jiyeon nodded. “I traveled with them for a while.”

“Minho lost his tree when he was very young, and Hyunjin was the one who found him in the remains of that part of the forest,” she continued, her voice growing quiet. “He’s very protective of Hyunjin and I… This is the worst thing that can happen to a forest spirit.” She stared down at her hands. “Withering is the last thing we want.”

“I-”

“Blade mage,” Hyunjung said, cutting Seungmin off before he could speak and for that he was grateful. He hadn’t known what to say to Jiyeon. He looked up at Hyunjung as she stood behind the counter in the kitchen. “Do you want some tea before bed?”

“No, but thank you for the offer.”

She gave him a tight-lipped smile.

“Jiyeon, could you him to one of the guest-rooms?”

“I can,” Jiyeon said, taking a deep breath as if to collect herself before she stood up. “Come with me, Seungmin,” she continued, gesturing for him to follow her into the corridor.

The corridor was the part of the cottage that wasn’t visible from the outside, and it was lined with doors all the way. It almost seemed endless, as Seungmin could only see more and more doors ahead of him. Was the corridor itself curved? Maybe. It appeared to curve to the left but you could never be sure when it came to magic.

He wasn’t sure for how long they walked until Jiyeon stopped in front of a door, identical to the rest of them.

“Here’s the guest-room,” Jiyeon said, gesturing to the door. “If you need anything just… just come to the main room,” she gestured back towards where they had come from, “and I’ll try to help you.”

“I will,” Seungmin said. He was about to enter the room, hand on the handle, as Jiyeon reached out to take Seungmin’s hand. He turned back to look at her, eyes wide in surprise.

“I know you haven’t received the best welcome here, and I’m very sorry for that. I just want you to know that we all appreciate your help, Seungmin.”

“Oh.”

“Hyunjung and Minho are just very suspicious. Hyunjung because of Eunkyung and Minho… well he doesn’t really trust anyone but Hyunjin.” She smiled, but her eyes were still sad. “Thank you so much, Seungmin.”

“I just want to help,” Seungmin said, his chest feeling oddly warm. “I haven’t done much right in my life and I… I know I can’t undo the bad things I’ve done, but I want to do good now. I want to change.”

“I never met you before, but I think you’re on your way to doing good,” Jiyeon said, letting go of Seungmin’s hand. “Goodnight, Seungmin.”

Seungmin couldn’t help the smile on his face. “Goodnight, Jiyeon.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> weeeeeeeooo things are happening!! 
> 
> I want to say! big thank you to everyone for supporting this fic ;w; I hope I can meet expectations <3


	3. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The dreams speak of the past, the present and the possible future. But nothing is set in stone, for you can change the future._

The darkness around him was pushing closer. Seungmin swore that he could see tendrils of black reaching out from the shadows and towards him. He looked around, squinting his eyes as he tried to figure out where he was. But despite his enhanced ability to see in the darkness, he couldn’t see anything but inky black around him.

He took a step closer to the darkness, expecting it to move as he did, but he was instead enveloped by shadows and he could feel the tendrils wrap around his ankles. He paused for a second, but there was no tugging from the tendrils. So he just pushed ahead.

Where was he going and why was he just walking right into the unknown? He wasn’t sure, but it was like he couldn’t stop himself. His feet just moved on their own.

It took a while, but eventually the darkness around him dispersed a little.

He couldn’t make out much of the space he was in, and everything appeared monochrome. He was in a cavern, most of the large space taken up by a lake, rocky bits and pieces protruding from the moving surface. In the far end of the cavern was a piece of land and he could see three figures there.

The tendrils were snaking around his legs, wrapping around his ankles and as he looked down he realized that they were octopus tentacles.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm as he stood there in the water. It was as if his ears were filled with cotton. He could hear that the three figures were talking, but he couldn’t understand what they said.

Time ticked by as he just stood there, watching the three figures interact. Two of them appeared humanoid, while the third one was twisted and always changing. There was an odd twitch to the third one as it moved around the other two.

One of the humanoids took a step forward, pushing the other back so that they were standing between the humanoid and the creature.

“You’re a liar,” a voice hissed, causing Seungmin to startle in surprise. It didn’t sound like the voice was coming from any of the figures ahead of him. “A liar,” it repeated, the words echoing between the cavern walls.

The water around him began to move, and the tendrils around his legs tightened. He could see one of the figures ahead of him draw a sword, pointing it to the creature. But before anything else could happen, the tendrils pulled him below the surface of the water.

Darkness swallowed him again, pushing closer around him and he kicked his legs desperately. The tentacles let go of his ankles, leaving him alone in the darkness. The lack of oxygen was burning in his lungs and he desperately looked for a way out.

Then he broke through the surface.

Everything around him had changed. He stared down at the stone floor where he laid, the water soaking the tiles. He was drenched, and the cold air made him shiver. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to stand up. His vision was swimming in front of him for a moment and he blinked to try and focus. He was standing in complete darkness, but that was just a minor inconvenience to him. He took a moment to study his surroundings, trying to figure out where he was.

Realization dawned on him.

He was standing in the corner of a cell, a cell that had since long crumbled. He had left only half of the walls standing.

He began to move towards where he knew the exit was, his body moving on its own. He knew this place like the back of his hand.

The hinges on the cell door squealed as he pushed the door open and he paused for a second, looking back to the cell. He gritted his teeth and headed for the exit.

This place shouldn’t exist. It shouldn’t be standing anymore. This place crumbled to the ground many years ago.

It hurt to walk through the familiar hallways. He tried to keep his gaze fixed ahead of him, but he couldn’t help but glance to the side and into the cells that lined the hallways. Each cell had a different purpose, but he could have sworn that he saw shadows of children cowering in the corners of the cells.

The stone tiled floor was wet, and he scrunched his nose as he looked down to see blood soak his boots.

Everything around him warped again.

He was standing in the middle of the charred parts of the Avaweald Forest, where he had walked through earlier that day. The forest around him was uncharacteristically silent, as if it was holding his breath.

He moved ahead, not daring to breathe too loud. The dry branches crunched under his feet as he moved as carefully as possible. His boots were still stained with blood and wherever he walked, he left a trail of blood.

Among the carnage and the destruction stood a spirit tree, and as soon as he laid eyes on it, he froze in place. It looked younger than Hyunjin’s, trunk not as thick, but the markings on it was glowing in a healthy, lush green color and the petals were soft pink.

“Save him.”

Seungmin snapped his head around. He was still alone, but he could have sworn it had been Minho’s voice.

“Take me instead. Don’t let him wither.”

When he turned back to the spirit tree, he could only watch in horror as it began to wither. The bark was drying up and began to crack, the light from within flickered weakly before it went out. The leaves fell to the ground and Seungmin stared at the shell of the tree.

As the light flickered again, it began to change from green into orange.

Fire burst from within the tree, and before Seungmin could react, the fire had swallowed everything around him.

He stumbled backwards, now standing on familiar cobblestone streets.

An inferno raged around him, and his ears were ringing. Wherever he looked, he was met with horrified faces. People were running, parents got separated from their children.

Everyone were trying to escape the monsters that had emerged from the Hell Forge.

The shrill cry of a child broke through the ringing in his ears and Seungmin snapped his head around to see Insu. Insu was approaching the child slowly, long and thin blade in his hands. He glanced at Seungmin, a grin stretching on his lips.

Without a word, Seungmin turned to face the child as well. As he approached her, he summoned the twin hatchets.

The scene warped.

“Do it,” Insu hissed. He was pinned to the dirty, wet ground and red stained his clothes and neck. Seungmin held him pressed down with one hand on his shoulder. His breath was shallow, cheeks wet and eyes glossy. “I got nothing in this world anyway.”

Seungmin glanced at his other hands, his gut twisting as he laid eyes on the faintly glowing blade.

“Maybe we could have been good brothers,” Insu said, his voice choked up. “I wanted to get away from this just as much as you.”

Seungmin only stared at his brother.

“Do it, you coward,” Insu barked.

Seungmin plunged the dagger into his brother’s chest.

  
  


Seungmin gasped for air as he awoke, his heart hammering against his ribcage.

  
  
  
  
  
  


It took him a moment to compose himself. He tried to make sense of his dream, but it had been so fragmented and he had woken up with a pounding in the back of his mind. He had given up after a while.

The cottage was silent when he exited his room, the only sign of life being the remains of a fire in the fireplace. He stood in the middle of the large room for a moment, looking around and taking it all in. Hyunjung’s lair looked nothing like Eunkyung’s, and that was a good thing. It was warm and welcoming.

When he exited the cottage, the first thing he saw was Hyunjin. Hyunjin was sitting on one of the benches in the garden, a cup in his hand and just staring out into the dark liquid. As Seungmin moved up to him, he showed no reaction.

“Hey,” Seungmin said softly as he could.

“Hello, Seungmin,” Hyunjin said, still not looking at Seungmin. “Hyunjung told me you came here to try and warn us.”

“Yes,” Seungmin whispered, looking down at his hands in shame. “I’m so sorry, Hyunjin. I wasn’t fast enough.”

“That’s alright,” Hyunjin replied, his voice soft and quiet. “You tried and I… I appreciate it.” He took a deep breath. “I know Minho and you are leaving to try and get my core back…” He finally turned to look at Seungmin. His skin had turned ashen, his pink hair not as vibrant anymore and he had lost the glow in his eyes. “I wish I could travel with you, but I don’t think I have the strength for that journey…”

“You look like you need the rest,” Seungmin said and Hyunjin just hummed. “If we’re fast enough, we might catch up to Insu before he gets to Grimholt.”

Hyunjin was silent for a moment.

“Who is Insu?” he asked. “Minho didn’t tell me you knew who took my core… Only that there’s someone out there looking to use the magic of my core for their own benefits.”

“Insu is my brother,” Seungmin said, taking a deep breath as he looked towards the forest. “Not by blood, but we were both created by Eunkyung and…” He trailed off, licking his dry lips. “We were the only ones who lived past the age of seventeen.”

“Are you close with him?”

Seungmin shook his head. “Not anymore. We used to be close… when we were kids. For a while we were allowed to share cells and he… he’s just like me. I despise and love him at the same time.”

“Sounds complicated.”

“When you’re made to be a weapon for someone else, most things are complicated.”

“Sounds like it.”

“I’m still sorry I didn’t stop him.”

“You did what you could,” Hyunjin said, sigh leaving his lips. “And you’re willing to help when you didn’t make it here in time… You didn’t have to do anything for me at all, Seungmin. I really appreciate that you’re at least trying.” He looked at Seungmin, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “I really do.”

Seungmin took a deep breath and nodded.

Hyunjin began to talk about other things, trying his best to distract both of them. He spoke about the forest, about the little family he had found here with Hyunjung, Jiyeon and Minho. While Seungmin’s mind still found time to wander, he appreciated Hyunjin’s attempt at distraction. He tried his best to distract the other, speaking about the places he had seen during his travels, but he kept the details to a minimum, as they usually weren’t too nice.

After a while, Jiyeon joined them, with a warm smile on her lips, and she too began to speak about this and that.

Eventually, two figures moved out from the forest and the three of them fell silent.

Hyunjung and Minho approached, both of them looking serious. As they reached the garden, Seungmin stood up and took a step away from the bench. Minho sent him a look, and the message was clear.

Stay away from them.

“Good morning,” Hyunjung greeted, giving Seungmin a stiff nod before she turned to look at Jiyeon and Hyunjin. Her eyes softened. “How are you feeling, Hyunjin?”

“Still empty,” Hyunjin mumbled, looking down at his hands. “But I slept alright so… all things considered, I think I’m okay.”

“That’s good,” Hyunjung said, taking a deep breath. She glanced at the cottage then back at Hyunjin. “We’ll prepare breakfast for you.” She gave Minho a look. “You can stay out here until we call you.”

“Do you need any help?” Seungmin asked, ignoring the venomous look Minho sent him.

“We’ll be fine,” Jiyeon replied, patting Seungmin’s arm. “But thank you, Seungmin.”

Seungmin just nodded, watching as Jiyeon and Hyunjung left him alone with Minho and Hyunjin.

Minho gave him a look, eyes sharp and brows pulled together in a frown.

“Hyunjin,” he said, turning to the other forest spirit. “I need you to do something for me.”

Hyunjin tilted his head, but he nodded slowly. “What do you need me to do?”

“I need you to take care of my sprout.”

Hyunjin stared at Minho, his eyes wide. Minho looked determined, crossing his arms over his chest.

“But… but your sprout..?” Hyunjin trailed off, eyes flickering down to the pouch in Minho’s side. “Did you..?”

“I planted it,” Minho said.

“You… you what?” Hyunjin asked, eyes wide and lips parted. “You planted it?”

Minho nodded.

“But it- It’s so small!”

“It is.”

“And you planted it?”

“Hyunjin. I-” Minho’s serious facade was starting to crack, his eyes softening. “I need to leave for a while.”

Seungmin looked between the two of them, his lips pressed firmly together. He shouldn’t be here. He should probably leave.

“I know you will.” Hyunjin’s voice was growing louder. “But wh-why? Why would you plant it now? It’s so small and… and weak! What if it withers?”

Minho grabbed Hyunjin’s hands, grip tight and eyes soft. “Hyunjin.” His tone was serious. “We’ve never been apart for long periods of time. I cannot leave you just like that, so…” He took a deep breath. “Please keep my sprout safe.”

Hyunjin didn’t say anything, he simply nodded, his eyes glossy. He looked as if he was about to start crying at any moment now.

Seungmin shouldn’t be here.

He glanced between Hyunjin and Minho one last time before he carefully got up from the bench. As tears began to roll down Hyunjin’s cheeks, Seungmin slipped away from them and disappeared into the cottage again.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Seungmin watched as Minho said goodbye to his family. Jiyeon looked upset and really worried, while Hyunjung appeared to be calmer; but Seungmin could see the crack in her facade. She was just as upset as Jiyeon about this.

Something about this scene made his heart ache. Moments like this made him wish he still had a family that cared when he traveled.

“Seungmin,” Hyunjin said, snapping Seungmin out of his daze. Seungmin hadn’t even noticed that he had walked up to him. “Safe travels,” he continued, offering Seungmin a smile. It didn’t quite reach his eyes, but Seungmin appreciated it.

Before Seungmin could reply, Hyunjin threw his arms around Seungmin, giving him a tight hug.

“Please stay safe,” Hyunjin murmured, resting his chin on Seungmin’s shoulder. “Please come back alive…” He trailed off, taking a deep breath. “Please bring Minho back alive.”

Seungmin hesitated for a second, but then he wrapped his arms around Hyunjin to hug him back. It felt odd, but he didn’t dislike this.

“I’ll bring him back, I promise,” he whispered in Hyunjin’s ear. “And we’re going to bring back your core.”

Hyunjin didn’t say anything, he just tightened his grip of Seungmin for a moment. Then he let go and took a step back.

“Let’s go,” Minho said, his voice harsher as he addressed Seungmin. “We want to reach the castle by the morning.”

“You’re right,” Seungmin said, straightening his back and adjusting his backpack. He gave Jiyeon and Hyunjung a curt nod before taking a step backwards, away from the cottage. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

“No worries, Seungmin,” Jiyeon said, her smile as warm and comforting as ever. “Stay safe. Both of you.”

Seungmin glanced at Minho. “We will.”

“We need to leave,” Minho said, giving his family a last look before promptly turning around. “Come on.”

Seungmin gave a nod to Hyunjung, turning around and he followed Minho into the forest.

As they traveled through the forest, both of them kept silent. The path they had ahead of them now was one Seungmin knew better than the previous path. It felt different to travel on the open path rather than skulking through the shadows.

The tension in the air was thick and Seungmin could feel Minho’s eyes at him every now and then.

“What do you know about the man who requested Hyunjin’s core?” Minho asked, breaking the silence. “The… the Shadow?”

“The Shadow, yes,” Seungmin replied. “I don’t know much about him, sadly. People in my… spheres talk, so I’ve heard their name before, but I don’t know many details. The guild there seems to focus on magic artefacts, but they keep to the east.” He paused for a second. “I didn’t think they knew about forest spirit.”

“What do you mean?”

“When Eunkyung-” Seungmin stopped himself, not missing the way Minho tensed up at the mention of the name. He took a deep breath. “When Eunkyung was putting together her plan, I was… I had just been brought to her. A lot of my memory from that time is hazy, but I remember some pieces of the things she told me. She gave me the impression that only magic users, innate magic users, like witches, knew of the true power of a core and how to use it.”

“So you’re saying that they have a magic user with them?”

“Very likely,” Seungmin said. “At least they must have had someone informing them about the power of a core. But…”

“But?” Minho raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t understand what a thieves guild would do with a core…” He trailed off. “I guess the obvious thing is that they have someone who requested the core from them… but that doesn’t feel right either.”

Minho sighed.

“I don’t care about the reason,” he said. “All I care about is getting it back.”

“I understand.”

Silence again.

Then a rustle.

Seungmin turned to see a flash of white. Before he could alert Minho of their company, the figure stepped out of the underbrush and onto the path.

“Spirit guides?” he asked, frowning as two spirit guides joined them. They resembled the one that had helped Seungmin to find his way, but there were slight differences in them. They all had slightly different facial features, small differences on their clothes. “Are we lost?”

“No we’re not,” Minho replied, looking at the two spirits beside him. Their mouths moved, but just like the other spirit guide he had met, Seungmin couldn’t hear anything. “They wanted to walk with us to the castle.” Minho paused. “They’re worried about Hyunjin.”

“Can you hear them?”

Minho nodded, his expression sad as both spirits offered their hands. “I can.” He didn’t look at Seungmin.

“Can all forest spirits hear them?”

“No.” Minho’s tone was harsh and his expression tense. “Only the withered ones.”

Seungmin decided to not push the matter. He lowered his head and continued to walk, alongside the forest spirit and the spirits of the dead. They would need to stop for the night soon, but the day after they would arrive at the castle of Serenn.

  
  
  
  
  


They arrived to the castle in the late evening of the following day. Neither of them spoke much. Seungmin knew Minho didn’t enjoy his presence, so he tried his best to be as unnoticeable as possible. He didn’t speak, he didn’t walk alongside Minho. He kept to the shadows.

The shame from betraying Minho and the others still burned hot in his veins. And somewhere, he felt responsible for what happened to Hyunjin.

The spirit guides followed them until they reached the edge of the forest. They spoke again, but Seungmin couldn’t hear a single sound. As they left them behind, Seungmin moved ahead. Minho didn’t say anything. He only followed Seungmin as he lead him towards the staff entrance.

Last time he had been here, he had been a member of the staff and it felt odd to return like this, under these circumstances. He know he shouldn’t be here. He had told Felix that he would try to stay away.

Yet here he was.

His hand brushed over the amulet as they walked up to the door.

“Why do you wear that skin?” Minho asked, speaking for the first time in a long while. They were standing just outside the door to the servants’ living quarters.

“I doubt they would accept my presence here, without this facade,” Seungmin said, raising an eyebrow.

“Doesn’t it feel wrong to wear a fake skin?” Minho asked.

Seungmin clenched his jaw, holding back the snappy comeback that lingered on his tongue. Instead he raised his hand to knock on the door.

Minho didn’t push the matter.

Behind the door, they could hear the patter of feet. Then the lock was turned and the door was pushed open, revealing a young woman. Seungmin couldn’t recognize her, but it wasn’t unlikely that she was among the new staff.

“Good evening,” Seungmin greeted, pushing his glasses up his nose. “Jeongin wouldn’t happen to be here?”

“Jeongin?” the woman asked and Seungmin nodded. She glanced over her shoulder, licking her lips. “I’ll… I’ll go and look for him. He should be in at this hour.” Her eyes flickered over to Minho. “Come inside. It’s still cold outside.”

Minho closed the door behind them as they stepped inside, and the woman left them alone in the foyer as she went to look for Jeongin.

They just stood there in silence. Minho’s gaze was sharp as he stared at Seungmin, seemingly able to look through his very soul. Seungmin just avoided to meet his gaze.

Soon footsteps were heard again, a single person approaching them and Jeongin soon appeared in the doorway to the foyer. The expression on his face as he saw them was mildly amusing, but they didn’t have much time to beat around the bush.

“Terribly sorry to bother this late in the evening,” Seungmin said, gesturing out the small window to the dark night outside. “We only ask for somewhere to sleep for the night and we’ll be on our way in the morning.”

“You came to the castle to ask for a bed for the night?” Jeongin deadpanned, trying to recover from the surprise.

Minho shrugged. “You’re the only ones I know in this town. And it’s on the way to our end goal. We needed somewhere safe.”

Jeongin sputtered. “I-I guess.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Come in. I’ll notify the prince of your arrival and I’ll… see what I can do.”

“Thank you, Jeongin,” Seungmin said.

Jeongin gave him a look. Seungmin knew that look. It was filled with distrust and maybe even some anger.

“I’m doing this for Minho’s sake,” he said. Seungmin ignored the way his heart clenched. “I don’t know what circumstances brought you here, but we will need a good reason for you to be here again.”

“I understand.”

“Hyunjin is in danger,” Minho said, and Jeongin’s expression changed in a flash. “Seungmin helped us.”

Seungmin turned to look at Minho, eyes wide. Was Minho speaking up for him?

Jeongin took a deep breath.

“Come with me.”

He led them through the servants quarters, only pausing for a second to give instructions to another servant. Then he continued to walk, gesturing for Minho and Seungmin to follow him.

In silence they walked through the halls of the castle, up the stairs and towards the floor where Seungmin knew Felix’s room was located. Or at least where it used to be. It would make sense if they had moved his room, as a blade mage had known of the exact location of the Prince’s room.

“A servant will bring you some tea,” Jeongin finally said, opening a door for Minho and Seungmin. “I will fetch the prince and you can… discuss what brought you here.” He bit his lip, grabbing onto Minho’s arm to stop the forest spirit before he passed him by. “Is Hyunjin alright?”

“For now, he’s safe,” Minho said, averting his eyes. “But we need to be fast.”

“I’ll get Felix.”

And with that, Jeongin left the two of them alone in the small tearoom. Seungmin immediately sat down, hands pressed between his knees.

Minho sat down beside him.

Then silence.

“Thank you,” Seungmin said. “For speaking up for me.”

Minho opened his mouth to reply, but before he could say anything, the door opened and another servant entered, carrying a tray with cups and a teapot. He gave them both a nod, wordlessly placing down the tray on the table.

“Thank you,” Minho said.

The servant nodded again, offering Minho an uncertain smile before leaving the room. Minho turned to Seungmin.

“I still don’t trust you fully, but so far you’ve been truthful to us. We need to be as fast as possible and I would hate for other’s distrust of you to slow us down.”

Seungmin pressed his lips together, nodding. “I don’t blame them for being distrustful of me.” He sighed. “I wish to make it right.”

There was something in Minho’s eyes as he studied Seungmin. His face softened ever so slightly, and Seungmin could have sworn he saw the ghosting of a smile tugging on the corners Minho’s lips.

“I think you’re on the way to make it right,” he said. “But you got more obstacles ahead of you.”

Seungmin agreed. But he didn’t have the time to reply as the door opened again.

“I must admit,” Felix said as he stepped inside the room, in the midst of wrapping a robe around himself. “You two were the last ones I expected to show up on my doorstep unannounced.”

He shone like the sun, smile so bright on his face as he looked Seungmin over. Seungmin stood up, bowing his head to Felix.

“My apologies, your highness,” he said. He glanced back to Minho who remained seated. “But we do have a good reason to be here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello this is about 267848744 years too late o<-<  
> i've been very busy with another fic i hope to post soon hehe ;w; <3


	4. The castle of stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In the castle lives a prince with a heart of gold. The broken one does not belong._

Felix studied Seungmin for a moment, eyes then shifting over to Minho. He sat down in front of them, reaching for the teapot and a cup. Seungmin watched him closely as he poured himself a cup of tea.  He had changed a lot since Seungmin had last seen him. Gone was the uncertain and nervous prince, replaced with someone who would confidently inherit the throne one day. He radiated warmth and happiness, giving off a warm light as he moved around.

The door opened again, and the dragonguards slunk into the room. Changbin and Jisung were both wearing uniforms while Chan was very dressed down, also wearing a robe like Felix. Minho and Seungmin had most likely disturbed them as they were about to sleep.

Felix took a deep breath, leaning back in his armchair. “Jeongin told me it was about Hyunjin.”

”He’s…” Minho trailed off, his expression tense. “He’s withering.”

The room fell quiet, and Seungmin could see the realization settle in the prince and the dragonguards.

“He’s withering?” Jisung asked, his voice quiet as it pieces through the deafening silence. “Like…”

“Like me,” Minho said, staring down into his cup.

“How…” Changbin trailed off. “What happened?”

“My brother stole Hyunjin’s core,” Seungmin said, his expression blank. His heart twisted in his chest and he watched as both Changbin and Chan tensed up. The attention in the room was turned to Seungmin, and Seungmin could clearly see the anger that swam in Changbin and Chan’s eyes. He didn’t blame them.

“Insu?” Felix asked.

That caused Seungmin to pause. “How did you know his name?”

“That was Eunkyung’s last word,” Felix said, crossing his legs as he leaned back in his chair. “Before you killed her.”

”Right.” He gritted his teeth, looking down at his hands. ”There was a contract given out by The Shadow of Grimholt, where they requested the core of a forest spirit. My brother took the contract and managed to get to Hyunjin’s tree before I could get in contact with anyone.”

“How did you know about the contract?” Chan asked. His eyes never left Seungmin, and his brows were pulled together in a frown. “Isn’t that just something for criminals.”

“Chan,” Felix spoke softly.

“I’m just curious,” Chan replied, his voice strained and his eyes narrowed. “How did you know about the contract?”

“I was in the south. I had just returned from-”

“From where?” Changbin asked.

Seungmin took a deep breath. “I returned to the town where I grew out. South of Serenn. I returned and I went to a tavern I used to visit more frequently when I was…” He trailed off, unsure of how to word himself. “When I was more involved with the criminals of Serenn.” He didn’t miss the way both Chan and Changbin’s glares hardened.

“So you returned to that life?” Chan asked.

Felix glared over his shoulder. Chan just frowned.

“I wasn’t intending to return to that life. I’m tired of it and I’m trying to get out. But as I passed through, I decided to look through the business ledgers of possible contracts,” Seungmin said, his voice tight and he spoke slowly, choosing each word carefully. Chan and Changbin hated his guts, with a good reason to, but that also meant that they could take his words and twist them. “I have to survive somehow. I was looking for a simple job, maybe smuggling some goods for a lowly crime boss. I needed money.” He inhaled sharply. “That’s when I saw the contract.”

Chan narrowed his eyes.

“Then my brother arrived. He had just finished a job and was in need of a new one.” Seungmin gritted his teeth. He wanted to explain himself. He wasn’t the bad guy here. He was trying to help but no one seemed to understand that right now. “Word travels around. Everyone in Serenn knows about the forest spirit who helped the prince to break his curse.”

Guilt flashed across Felix’s face.

“It was an easy job.”

“How do we know you’re not fooling us right now?” Chan snapped, taking a step forward. “You’ve been back and forth a lot, Seungmin. I find it very hard to trust you right now.”

“I’m not asking you to trust me,” Seungmin said, as calm as he could. “I’m speaking my truth. It’s up to you whether or not you trust me.”

“I don’t trust you the slightest,” Chan rumbled, looming closer. “If I was to decide I would have killed you in the ruins in Sysiweald.”

“Chan!” Felix snapped, his whole body tense as he turned to Chan.

Chan stared at Seungmin, eyes narrow and fingers twitching. He was ready to pounce at any moment.

Felix turned to Chan, stepping up to him. He took Chan’s face in his hands, and over his shoulder, Seungmin could see Chan’s expression soften.

“I think you should leave us for a little bit,” Felix whispered, so quietly that had it not been for Seungmin’s heightened senses he wouldn’t have heard it. “You’re getting very worked up.”

“I can’t just leave you,” Chan hissed, eyes flickering to Seungmin. “He’s a trained killer, Felix. I’m not leaving you alone with him.”

“Jisung will be here with us,” Felix assured. “Minho is also here. Take Changbin and leave for a little bit. You need to calm down.”

That was not a request, that was an order if Seungmin had ever heard one. Gone was the uncertain prince Seungmin had gotten to know.

Chan gave Felix a look, his eyes flickering over to Seungmin, before he promptly turned around. He gestured for Changbin to follow him, and the two of them left the room.

As Felix turned back to them, he appeared tired. He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair before slumping back down in his chair. “I want to help,” he said. “But I need to stay here.” He glanced over his shoulder towards the door. “Is there anything I can do?”

Minho shook his head. “I don’t think so. You need to remain here, Felix. That’s your duty as the prince of Serenn.”

“I think we’re alright, we just need to catch Insu before he reaches Grimholt,” Seungmin added slowly, glancing over to Minho. Minho had his gaze fixed on Felix, not turning to Seungmin. “It’s a long journey and we have time to catch up.”

“We just need somewhere to stay for the night,” Minho said.

“That’s the least I can do,” Felix said, shoulders dropping as he relaxed a little. “Anything else?”

Minho was silent for a moment, eyes fixed at his hands. “There’s one more thing,” he whispered.

“Yes?”

“I have a favor to ask of you,” Minho said.

“Of course.” Felix’s expression softened. “What do you need?”

“Would-” Minho licked his lips. “Do you think Jeongin could travel to the cottage? Hyunjin is alone and I…” He averted his eyes. “I don’t want him to be alone. Hyunjung and Jiyeon might not… They’re there, but… It would make me calmer to know that Jeongin is also with him.”

“I can send him off in the morning. I’m sure he doesn’t have anything against that,” Felix said. “He looked very upset as he told me you were here concerning Hyunjin.”

“Thank you,” Minho whispered.

Seungmin sat there, staring down at his hands.

“You must be tired from traveling all day,” Felix said, pushing himself out of the chair. He offered the two of them a smile, one that did not quite reach his eyes. “I’ll have someone show you to your rooms.”

“Thank you, prince Felix,” Seungmin said, standing up as well.

Felix looked like he wanted to say something, but he bit his lip and gestured for them to follow him out of the room.

  
  
  


Seungmin was staring up into the dark ceiling. The bed was soft and comfortable, far more comfortable than any bed he’d ever slept in. Minho’s breathing was calm, but uneven. He was clearly still awake.

Maybe he also had a lot to think about.

“I’ve never been away from Hyunjin this long,” Minho said, breaking the silence. Seungmin turned to look at him in the darkness, bed creaking as he moved. Minho was laying on his back, hands clasped together and resting on his stomach as he stared at the ceiling. “I’ve always been with him. Where he goes, I go.”

“You seem very close,” Seungmin noted and Minho hummed. “I can only imagine how you must feel right now.”

“It’s very empty,” Minho said. “It’s like I’m missing a piece of myself.”

Silence again. Seungmin continued to look at Minho as he stared into the ceiling.

“The fire Eunkyung started in the forest took my tree from me,” Minho said. “That’s why I withered… But I was lucky to have made it out of the fire alive. Only me and Jiyeon came out of that fire alive.” He took a deep breath. “Jiyeon was older, she knew Hyunjung and her tree is closer to Hyunjung’s cottage… My tree is deeper into the woods, further south.” He chuckled, the sound humorless and hollow. “Maybe you saw it.”

Seungmin froze, eyes widening. He had seen it. When he had followed the spirit guide, before he met Jiyeon. He had paused momentarily by a tree, thick trunk, few branches remaining and most of the bark burned off. It was hollow, gaping empty without a single hint of a core remaining within it.

“Hyunjin found me, among the ruins of the forest around me. We were both so young. I was just a lost child, but Hyunjin was the first security I found after losing my home, losing my family.” He took a deep breath. “I never let Hyunjin out of my sight the first few weeks after he found me. He became what kept me rooted, even though I was withering.” There was a smile in his voice, a fond one. “But after a few weeks, Hyunjin disappeared.”

“Just… just like that?”

“Just like that,” Minho confirmed. “He hadn’t told anyone where he went. Hyunjung had to ask the forest, but the forest didn’t tell her much.” A soft chuckle left his lips. “He turned up by Hyunjung’s cottage in the evening, covered in soot from head to toe but smiling so widely. I was upset with him. I thought he was gone. It was like losing my tree all over again.”

“Did he ever tell you why he left?”

“He did. After I finished yelling and crying. He let me be upset before he showed me the reason he had left. You see, Hyunjin is connected to the forest in a way I never was, and in a way Jiyeon isn’t. It had told him about the fire, and the loss of all the spirit trees. But it also told him about the little sprout that remained of one spirit tree, and it told him that he needed to save it.”

“So he..?”

“He went to get the small sprout from my tree.” There was a slight wavering in Minho’s voice, displaying emotions that Seungmin wasn’t used to see, especially not from Minho. “I owe Hyunjin everything… The withering process is awful, and I can’t bear the thought of Hyunjin having to go through that. For him, I’m willing to do anything. He’s my dearest brother.”

“I understand why you’re so attached to him,” Seungmin mumbled. “It sounds nice… to have someone like that in your life.”

Minho turned around, laying on his side of face Seungmin. His eyes seemed to almost glow in the darkness as he stared intensely at Seungmin. It felt like an eternity had passed before Minho spoke.

“Why are you helping us?”

“What do you mean?” Seungmin frowned. “Do you not want the help?”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Minho said, mirroring Seungmin’s frown. “I’m asking you why. You’re not the type of person to just go out of your way to help some random forest spirit.” He shifted in bed. “I still can’t figure you out. Your intentions are clearer than last time, but still blurry. What do you really want, Seungmin? What do you want to get out of this?”

Seungmin thought for a moment, his chest tightening at the realization. “I don’t know,” he whispered, not sure if Minho could hear him or not. “I want to help. I really do. I don’t wish to bring you more harm than I already have. But as for what I want out of it, I don’t know.”

Minho let out a hum, eyes narrowed. He didn’t look like he trusted Seungmin even the slightest. Seungmin didn’t blame him. He wouldn’t trust himself either.

“You betrayed Felix,” Minho said, words tearing open the fresh wound in Seungmin’s chest. Shame burned hot within. “You betrayed us all and handed us over to Eunkyung. And then you turn around, turn up at my home and want to help Hyunjin. You willingly return to a place where no one wants you around.”

“I did betray you. All of you,” Seungmin said. He felt like he was suffocating under Minho’s gaze. “I know it don’t change the fact that I did betray everyone… but I didn’t want to do it. At first, when Eunkyung gave me the instructions, I didn’t care much about it. I saw it as just another job, and I cared little for the casualties it would result in. But…”

“But?”

“But then I realized that maybe there was room for me in regular society. Everyone hates me and what I am, Minho. I don’t-” Seungmin paused, and he took a deep breath to calm his own emotions. “I don’t even have to do anything for people to despise me. Everyone fears blade mages, so I can’t do anything honest. Ever since I got back from… from where I was created, I’ve been living at the edge of society. But when I was handed this mission, I was… I was shown so much unexpected trust, even after everyone learned what I was. Of course not everyone accepted me, but Felix did. And he made me realize that I… I don’t want to be living alone for the rest of my life. I want to find someone who accepts and loves me too. I have emotions too, and I shouldn’t shy away from them.”

Minho just stared.

“Nothing excuses what I did. But Felix’s compassion was what changed things. I didn’t want to be forced to do things by someone who has tormented me my whole life. At some point along the journey, I realized how wrong everything was.”

Guilt was weighting heavy in Seungmin’s chest, and he held his breath as he fell silent. Minho’s expression was unreadable. He just stared blankly.

“We should sleep,” he said, short and snappy before he simply turned around in bed, his back turned to Seungmin.

Seungmin didn’t sleep well.

  
  
  
  
  
  


The glares sent his way were getting annoying at this point, and Seungmin did everything in his power to not snap at the dragonguards. He didn’t need to cement the bad perception they had about him. While he was annoyed, he understood and didn’t blame Changbin or Chan for the glares. He deserved it.

Felix, bless his kind heart, had had breakfast with them, and had made sure they had packed bags.

“Jeongin left in the early morning,” he informed them as they prepared to leave, walking towards the western gate. He was wearing white, adorned with golden details; something very different from before. He truly looked like the sun. “I sent him with two guards, only for the first part of the journey. He should be there in no time.”

The three dragonguards stayed close as they walked down the hallways, all of them wearing their armors.

“The spirit guides know him, and they know what he means to Hyunjin so they should help him to find his way to the cottage quickly,” Minho said, and Felix nodded. Minho tightened his grip of the straps of his bag. “Thank you so much, Felix.”

“I’m sorry I can’t do more for you.” Felix smiled sadly as he looked between the two of them. He leaned closer. “Do you need a dragonguard to come with you?”

Both Chan and Changbin tensed up. Jisung’s gaze shifted between the two of them.

“I think it’s better if you keep them close to you,” Minho said before Chan or Changbin could protest.

“We’ll be alright,” Seungmin said.

Felix didn’t look convinced.

“If you say so,” he said.

They reached the western gate.

“Felix?” Seungmin said quietly, leaning closer to the prince. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” Felix said, brows knitted together as he also leaned closer. “What do you need?”

“When you were at Hyunjung’s cottage.”

“Yes?”

“Did you have a dream?”

Felix paused for a moment, looking Seungmin over, then glancing over to Chan. “Yes,” he finally said, his voice just a mere whisper. “Did you also have one?”

“I did.” He took a deep breath. “Parts of it I didn’t understand. Parts of it were memories. What was your dream about?”

“Hyunjung gave me a potion that was supposed to show me how my curse was broken,” Felix said, and Seungmin hummed. “And it did show me just that. It was very vague, but it felt so real.”

“Hm. I didn’t get any potion. I just dreamed.”

“And you said parts were memories?”

“Yeah.”

“I’d like to say that maybe it was just a normal dream, but I’ve been to the cottage and I find it unlikely to be just a dream. The cottage has a certain influence, and the dream has to mean something.”

Seungmin nodded.

“Have you asked Minho about it?”

“No, I didn’t think he would think much about it. He lives there, so I figured that maybe it’s just normal to him.”

“That’s fair.”

“We should be going,” Seungmin said, taking a step away from Felix, and closer to Minho.

“We need to catch up,” Minho agreed.

“Good luck you two,” Felix said, offering them a tight-lipped smile. “I’m sorry I can’t do more for you.”

“Don’t think too much about it, Felix,” Minho said, patting Felix on the shoulder. “You’ve done more than enough for us.”

“Thank you, prince Felix,” Seungmin said with a nod. He glanced over to the dragonguards. Chan and Changbin were still glaring at him, shoulders tense and eyes cold. Jisung on the other hand was glancing nervously between the two; he looked like he wanted to say or do something but didn’t dare.

“Good luck,” Felix said. “I’ll pray for you to be successful.”

“We will,” Minho said. Seungmin wished he had that kind of confidence.

With that, they turned and left the castle.

  
  
  


They had some more forest to travel through, before reaching the seemingly endless fields leading to Grimholt. Seungmin could only thank the gods in the high heavens that he wasn’t traveling alone. They had to follow Insu’s track closely, and for some reason, Insu had taken the small paths of the forest, rather than stay to the big, traveling roads between the castle and Grimholt.

He was sure that had he traveled alone, he would have ended up getting lost again. But Minho knew forests like the back of his hand.

They had walked for half a day in complete silence before Minho spoke.

“You said you and your brother were close at some point,” he said. “Your relationship is clearly strained now but I’m curious. How? You shared a cell.”

“We were true brothers at one point.” Something within Seungmin twisted. As much as he didn’t enjoy talking about his brother, he felt like he owed Minho at least a little. After all, Minho had just shared something very important and intimate about himself last night. It was only fair. “Blade mages are created. We do not have the innate magic, but we’re granted a special kind of magic from another magic user, one who has the magic in their blood. Ordinary people are not meant to have magic, so the process to create blade mages is a slow and dangerous one. Magic is volatile, and can explode at any moment if the host cannot handle it.” He bit his lip. “Me and Insu were not the only ones Eunkyung kidnapped and experimented with. We were kept locked up in cells, punished with little food, no light and no company, when we misbehaved. We were showered in affection and love when we were good. She made sure we were all devoted to her, and that we knew what disobeying her orders meant… As time passed, one by one, my siblings passed away. Their bodies couldn’t handle it, and Insu and I were forced to watch the others die in front of us; killed by the magic that threatened to kill us as well. We got to share cells for the last years, and that’s when we truly found each other. At one point, the magic almost killed Insu, and…”

“And..?”

He let out a humorless laugh. “And I was so scared. I loved my brother, and he was all I had left. I didn’t know where I was, I didn’t understand what situation I found myself in, and I didn’t know what I had turned into. All I knew was that Insu was all I had.”

“But he did recover.”

“He did,” Seungmin mumbled. “But after that, his sessions with Eunkyung stopped. I guess she thought he had enough magic to serve her well enough. All the others were already dead, so I assume she couldn’t let another one die as well.”

“Did your sessions with Eunkyung continue?”

“They did. That’s why I have a bit more magic than Insu.” He took a deep breath. “Somewhere in the last sessions, my resentment for Eunkyung was starting to grow. I vowed that one day, I would be the one to end her life.”

“Yet you followed her every command,” Minho said. There was no bite in his words, just open and honest curiosity. It was nothing like the accusatory tone he had had yesterday.

It made talking much easier. Maybe his words wouldn’t be met with as much hostility.

“I did everything for her,” Seungmin said. “That was all I knew. Insu and I were released into a world that feared and hated us, as I told you. Doing the dirty work in the underbelly of society, and following Eunkyung’s commands were the only things we knew how to do. We couldn’t just get an honest job, or go back to the lives we were robbed of. We didn’t have that luxury.”

Silence echoed in the dark room, and Seungmin rolled over to lay on his back; he stared up into the ceiling.

“I judged you too harshly, Seungmin, and for that I am sorry,” Minho finally said, causing Seungmin to snap his head to the side, staring at him through the darkness. “I always judge based on intentions, because that’s what I see. Your intentions may be a bit muddy, but listening to you just now I…” He took a deep breath. “I think there’s a good heart in there, somewhere.”

That warmed Seungmin to the core. Few people had bothered to understand him, and given the past between him and Minho, for Minho to even open up to try and understand him meant a lot.

He sucked a sharp breath. He didn’t know what to say.

But it seemed like he didn’t have to say anything.

“Seungmin! Minho!” a voice called from behind them and both Minho and Seungmin stopped, spinning around to see Jisung run towards them.

“What are you doing here?” Seungmin asked as Jisung caught up. “I doubt Changbin will be pleased to learn you ran away from the castle. And I think Chan will be even more upset by this. He clearly doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

Jisung scrunched his nose. “I know,” he said, offering Seungmin a smile. “I’m sorry about that.”

“That’s alright,” Seungmin said. “I think we’ll be alright. We just need to be fast.”

“I know,” Jisung said, averting his eyes as he began to fiddle with his belt. “I can’t travel with you, but I can give you this.” He hold out his hand, and in a thin chain, a silver whistle dangled. It was clearly enchanted, runes and arcane marks carved into the surface and it buzzed with a faint energy.

Seungmin stared at the whistle for a moment, then up to Jisung’s face.

”This is my call whistle. It’s enchanted to summon me. No matter the distance, I will hear you if you blow it,” Jisung explained, a sheepish smile on his face. “I’m fast. I can get to you fast, so when you need me, you call for me. I will know where it is.”

Seungmin took the whistle in his hands, so carefully as if he was scared of it breaking. It gave off a comforting hum in his hand as it came to rest.

“Thank you, Jisung,” Seungmin breathed. He had been faced with far too much kindness, and while he appreciated it, he wasn’t sure how to handle it.

“Don’t mention it,” Jisung said with a kind smile. He was far too kind for his own good, and Seungmin’s heart felt soft and warm in his chest. “I want to help in whatever way I can. I want to do more but…”

“This is enough, Jisung,” Minho said, reaching out to close Seungmin’s hand around the whistle. “This is enough.”

“I can only hope,” Jisung said, shoulders slumping. Then he glanced to the path that laid ahead of them. “I’ll accompany you a bit further. Let’s go.”

They turned, Minho taking the lead as they began to walk, and Jisung quickly joined his side. Seungmin was clutching onto the whistle as he fell to the back, watching his traveling companion and temporary companion.

It was a bright day, the sunlight pushing past the tree tops and it created an interesting pattern on the forest floor. Seungmin couldn’t help but stare at Minho. In the bright midday light, he was glowing. But while the light continued to fade over the day, Minho’s orange hair seemed to only grow brighter.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yaaaaaaay another chapter orz im so sorry for them being slow... I can only hope this is an okay chapter haha orz

**Author's Note:**

> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/pinkpunchmango)   
>  [CuriousCat](https://curiouscat.me/pinkpunchmango)
> 
> **Links to existing character art:**
> 
> [Nad's Chanlix (1)](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1293876489855803392?s=20)
> 
> [Nad's Chanlix (2)](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1293592239285743617?s=20)
> 
> [Nad's Chanlix (3)](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1293608582814920704?s=20)
> 
> [Nad's Chanlix (4)](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1301742681530408960?s=20)
> 
> [Nad's servant!Seungmin](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1294015151067156481?s=20)
> 
> [Charly's dragonguard!Chan](https://twitter.com/JesterFesta/status/1293582573084516354?s=20)
> 
> [Felix, Chan and Jisung by Nad](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1293513314836733952?s=20)
> 
> [Hyunho by Nad](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1302311986332459010?s=20)
> 
> [Confused Minho by Nad](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1304003209103511552?s=20)
> 
> [merc!Seungmin by Nad](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1304457221590269952?s=20)
> 
> [Nad's 2min doodles](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1310431458998116353?s=20)
> 
> [Marzia's Binsung](https://twitter.com/marsipan_art/status/1302308117347172352?s=20)
> 
> [2min by Nad](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1317162494092222465?s=20)  
>   
> [All the boys by Pia](https://twitter.com/piapi__/status/1321890785344802816)  
>   
> [Nad's 2min](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1322789005960777729?s=20)  
>   
> [Happy 2min (Nad)](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1322581841958744064?s=20)  
>   
> [Hyunjin by Majo](https://twitter.com/_mytime0915/status/1329939234757730312?s=20)


End file.
